Refrigerator



.yam le, 1934.; P, @WARREN 1,943,646-

REFRIGERATOR Filed D80. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 16, 1934. p7 Q WARREN 1,943,646

REFRIGERATOR Filed Dec. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 rso Patented Jn. 16, 1934 .UNITED "STATES lPA'rslJ'r OFFICE REFRIGERATOR Paul C. Warren, Lakeside, Mich.

3 Claims.

'This invention relates to improvements in refr1gerators, and more particularly to an improved arrangement for circulation of air andl the storage of the food and other perishable commodities within refrigerators.

The object of the invention is to promote economy and increased e'iciency in the maintenance and operation of refrigerators, first, by providing for a well defined and positive circulation of the refrigerated air within the cooling space, and .again by dividing the cooling orw storage space into a number of drawer-like compartments so constructed as to permit the free circulation of air through their walls whenv in closed position. but becoming imperforate when the drawer is withdrawn to prevent the loss and dissipation of the cold air Within it.

A practical embodiment'of these and other novel features and advantages is illustrated-in y' 20 'the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator of the mechanical type constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view in vertical section through the storage space showing the circulating system and -the division of the storage space;` i

Figure 3 is another detail view in vertical section as taken onfline 3-3 of Figure 2; 3 Figure 4 is a view in cross section through the storage space and one of the drawers, as taken on line 4--4 of Figure 2;l Figure 5 is an enlarged view of one of the drawers in vertical section as taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4; and 1 Figures 6' and 7 are perspective views of the side and bottom plates, respectively, for closing the openings in the corresponding walls of th drawers. 4 Inasmuch as the improved features of construction are applicable to any and all types and kinds of refrigerating devices, the present disclosure isillustrative of its application to a mechanical type of refrigeratorv consisting of the usual upright body of insulated walls enclosing a single large compartment accessible through a single door lextendng the full height thereof. The interior ofthe lcompartment is subdivided into a small compartment 2 in one of the upper corners for the cooling or refrigerating unit 3 of any standard design, while the remaining space is available for storage. The apparatus for maintaining the refrigeratlng unit at the required cooling temperature is located either'in a separate compartment below the storage compartment or located remotely from the refrigerator.

The space occupied by the refrigerating unit 3 is separated from the remainder of the vspace by a transvesepartition wall 4 and a vertical -wall 4*, these walls terminating short of the side and top walls of therefrigerating compartment in order to maintain free lcirculation of the air about the storage space and to and from the re frigerating unit compartment. In addition to the partition wall 4, there is a vertical wall 4a 'forming a continuation of the transverse partition wall 4, and extending downwardly along the right side of thestorage space at a distance inwardly from the side wall and terminating short of the bottom wall.

The remainder of the space within the main compartment, that is', below and to one side of the refrigerating unit compartment is divided into a plurality of small compartments in the form of sliding drawers 6, 6 for the storage of 75 foods and food products in place of the usual arrangement of shelves used for this purpose.` Thus as shown, the space below the refrigerating unit contains three drawers 6 of full width, while the small space at one side of the unit may be either occupied by smaller drawers or a separate shelved compartment, as desired. For the purpose of this disclosure, however, only the main drawer structure will be considered with particularity.

Considerable latitude is permitted in the mounting of the drawers 6, a suitable frame 7 being preferably erected within the refrigerator for slidably supporting the drawers, the same being either a permanent fixture or one that is assembledfwithin the space and capable of removal if desired.

Briefly then, the drawersupporting frame 7 consists of vertical and horizontal angle-iron members 7a and 7b, respectively, the horizontal members'forming slideways for the drawers which may be equipped with rollers or other'means for promoting ease of movement, all of which are i, well-known expedients in the art and therefore need not be shown in detail. 100

The drawers therefore extend the full width of the door opening, thus leaving vertical spaces 8 between their side walls and the adjacent inner 4walls of the refrigerator for the circulation of the cold air from the cooling unit compartment above. Likewise there is a space 9 beneath the lowermost drawer which connects the lower ends of the vertical side passages, while a corresponding passage 10 at the top completes1 the circuit from the space occupied by the refrigerating unit,

around the drawers and return. A

Each drawer 6 as already suggested is a receptacle for/the articles of food to be preserved at the temperature within the refrigerator, and as such are preferably made of sheet metal open at the top and having' louvered or partially open side and bottom walls so that the cold air can circulate freely -through the'.y same; Moreover the drawers are provided with sliding plates or panels so designed that upon sliding the drawer from the openings and thus render the side and bottom walls imperforate to prevent the escape of the cold air and corresponding loss of refrigerating energy.

Thus as shown in Figures 4 to '7, each of the drawers has a row of Vertical slots or openings 6a in its side walls and a plurality of symmetrically arranged openings or slots 6b in its bottom wall. Extending lengthwise of the sidewalls are. the closure plates 11 having openings 11a registering with the openings 6L and supported for endwise sliding movement by mean'sof suitable clips 11b fixed to the drawer walls. These plates are preferably mounted on the inner face of the vertical side walls and pivotally connected with the rear ends of the platesl are short push rods 12 passing through the rear wall of the drawer and having circular pads or discs 12a at their ends bearing against the back wall of the refrigerator, and coil springs 13, 13 mounted'on the rods between the pads and the wall of the drawer.

Similarly on the bottom wall of each drawer is mounted a sliding plate 14 having openings 14:a normally registering with the openings 6b in the bottom wall when the drawer is closed. Between the openings 14Min the plate are solid sections which cover the openings in the drawer bottom when the plate slides rearwardly as the drawer is opened by the expansion of a pair of stiff compression springs 15, 15. These springs are mounted at the rear corners ofI the plates by means of rearwardly extended fingers 14h, 1lib having upturned ends against which one end of each spring is fastened, their free ends bearing against the rear wall of the drawer, as shown in Figures 5 and 7. A rack or auxiliary bottom 16 of wire mesh or other perforated material is preferably placed in the bottom of the drawers to support the contents above the slotted bottom wall, and for obvious reasons.

As shown in Figure 5, each drawer in its normal and closed position has its side and bottom wall openings uncovered by their respective plates 11 and 14 byreason of the contact of their rearwardly extended push rods and fingers in contact with the back wall of the refrigerating space, thus bringing the openings in the plates into register with the openings in the drawer walls.

Now when the drawer is pulled out forwardly,

holding them in such position until the drawer is again opened.

In a refrigerator thus designed and constructed the usual refrigerating process takes place, viz: the heat is extracted from air by the cooling unit and the colder air follows a downward path along one (right) side of the storage compartment (as indicated by the arrows in Figure 2) to the space 9 at the bottom, thence breaking up into streams flowing upwardly through the bottom openings in the drawers, and laterally through the side openings into the vertical passage on the left side of the storage compartment, eventually finding its Way to the top of the compartment as it absorbs heat and becomes warmer, and thence is returned to the cooling unit compartment through the passage 10.

The advantage of this construction for refrigerators is one of promoting greater economy as Lacaece well as convenience. In the first place, the constant and complete circulation of the cold air throughout the refrigerating space is productive of more uniform temperature conditions and consequently better refrigeration. Again, loss of cooling efficiency by the frequent opening of the refrigerator door is eliminated by the use of the drawers, instead of the customary shelves. The colder air within the refrigerator is considerably heavier than the surrounding air, so that on opening the door of the ordinarily designed refrigerator, there is nothing `to prevent the air from falling forwardly through the opening, with an attendant loss of effective cooling value, since the cold air thust lost is replaced by the warmer outside air which must be cooled down to the normal refrigerating temperature after the door is closed. With the use of drawers, however, the cooling space is not exposed to the outside atmosphere when the door is opened, and when one of the drawers is withdrawn its side and bottom walls become imperforate, thereby effectively retaining its volume of cold air, since the colder air cannot descend and does not tend to ascend and mingle with the Warmer exterior atmosphere. Thus after removing food from or placing it in the open drawer, it is returned with the volume of cold air practically intact.

From the standpoint of convenience, the drawers are vastly more satisfactory than shelves, since articles of food can be more 4systematically and compactly arranged and readily accessible from above, thus avoiding the inconvenience of removing or reaching around, certain articles to obtain those behind, as is the necessary procedure in a shelf-equipped refrigerator.

Having set forth the novel features and advantages of my refrigerator construction, I claim as my invention:

1. A refrigerator comprising a storage space having a door opening thereinto, a drawer in said storage space slidable outwardly through the door opening, said drawer having walls provided with openings adapted to permit free circulation therethrough when said drawer'I is in closed position, slidable closure members on said drawer, and means acting to operate said closure members to close said openings in said drawer when the latter is withdrawn.

2. A refrigerator comprising a storage space having a door opening thereinto, a drawer in said storage space slidable outwardly through the door opening, said drawer having walls provided with openings adapted to permit free circulation therethrough when said drawer is in closed posi- A tion, slidable closure members on said drawer, and spring actuated means normally holding said closure members in position to uncover said openings and acting to shift the same to close said openings when said drawer is shifted into open PAUL C. WARREN. 

